


once a king a queen in narnia, always a king or queen in narnia

by aletterinthenameofsanity



Series: long and happy was their reign [3]
Category: Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types
Genre: Adopted Children, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Pevensies, Character Study, F/F, F/M, Family Feels, Interracial Relationship, LGBTQ Character, Literary References & Allusions, M/M, Multi, POV Peter, Personal Growth, Polyamory, Post-Canon, Role Reversal, The Problem of Susan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-05 20:09:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14626125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aletterinthenameofsanity/pseuds/aletterinthenameofsanity
Summary: In England, Peter falls in love with a brilliant, beautiful girl with the steadiest hands he’s ever seen. No healer on Narnian battlefields could stitch with such precision as she can, and her status as one of the first black female doctors in Britain is not an unwarranted one.Peter eventually proposes to her, but not before telling her of Narnia, of its green glens and wild dances and grand battles. He tells her of sibling monarchs and omniscient lions, of brave warriors and river gods.When Peter is pulled back into Narnia a few days later, his hands are near permanently stained with the ink of his doctoral dissertation. (The subject: the recurrence of messianic figures throughout cultures in world history.)Peter is not a commander anymore. His voice is softened by years spent in a library, his command of armies dulled by quiet debates with professors and peers. He is sentimental in softer ways now- his gestures of grandeur have been minimized from countrywide spectacles to candlelit dinners in his flat.(Peter Pevensie is told he can never return to Narnia. When he gets pulled back into Narnia for the third time, he is a far different person than the King he once was.)





	once a king a queen in narnia, always a king or queen in narnia

**Author's Note:**

> Title is by C.S. Lewis.
> 
>  
> 
> So, here's Peter's one shot and the half-sequel I promised! A longer, multi chapter sequel is in the works, but until then, hope you guys like this!

Peter Pevensie is the oldest, the leader of Narnia. The High King, the commander, the Magnificent. He was always supposed to be the hero of the story, the courageous protector and savior.

And he _was_ that, for decades. In Narnia and England, he played brother and guardian and King. He fought for his siblings and country, for the weak and the vulnerable and the oppressed.

Now, when he stands in front of Caspian’s Narnia, he is ready to leave and ready to return. He has faith that he _will_ return, someday, that he will be called back to the land that he has called his home for years now.

And then he reaches that tree, ready to return to England until he is called again, and Peter is told-

He is told that he cannot return. Ever.

Then, before Peter can figure out how to feel, Edmund chooses to stay. Peter both does and doesn’t understand as to why Edmund stays in a world where Peter will never get to see him again. This is the world where Edmund stands tall, where his very bones seem to be stronger. This is the world where Edmund wears a crown and a green tunic, where he wields the sword he had forged for himself when Father Christmas never bestowed on him a gift.

But this is also the world that took their first childhood, the world that Peter and Susan can’t return from. This is the world that changed them, that spat them back into England when it no longer had use for their family.

This a world full of people who both worship and despise them, who call them heroes and cowards within the same breath. Peter will always long for Narnia, but for this moment she sits wrong in his bones. She is refusing him, and thus he wants to refuse her.

\---

In England, he tries to readjust, but it is _so bloody hard_. Peter had thought that it would be easy, that he had made his peace with Narnia, but this world is not the place he remembers. He'd forgotten how hard it was to slip back into mundanity, into a world where you are just an insignificant cog in a machine. It's hard to forget the feeling of a leather-wrapped hilt against his fingers, the slither of grand speeches against his tongue. It takes him months to stop bracing himself for betrayal, to stop looking over his shoulder and fearinf the White Witch's return.

But in the end, Peter does accept his place in England.

He adjusts to the fact that Edmund stayed in Narnia, is King alongside Caspian X. He adjusts to the fact that Peter _isn't_ King, that he lives in a world where he does not hold the lives of hundreds of thousands in his hands. His job certainly helps, in the end.

Peter searches for a career that will remind him of Narnia, but won't make him ache with what he's lost. He finds that in history, in research for a land long past and a time humans can never return to. He sees ruins that remind him of the cliff that once held Cair Paravel, of that one golden chess knight that Edmund held aloft when they stumbled into Narnia for the second time.

Peter falls in love with a brilliant, beautiful girl with the steadiest hands he’s ever seen. No healer on Narnian battlefields could stitch with such precision as she can, and her status as one of the first black female doctors in Britain is not an unwarranted one.

(Peter placed his love for Ravenna, his first wife, away from him long ago. He's not sure if it was in the Time Between Narnias, when he relearned a young body, or in Caspian’s Narnia, when he had to grieve a world he would never see again, but he knows that it happened. Ravenna is long, long dead and gone, and Peter has accepted it. He only hopes that she was happy in the years after he was ripped away from her.)

At first, Anna-Mae thinks him strange that he might love her, when their races are so different, but he long ago stopped noticing such things. In Narnia, people of different magical species married- one of Peter’s most trusted advisors, Leandre the dryad, was engaged to a faun woman named Jans. The idea of two humans of different races- such as Cor of Archenland and Aravis of Calormen- is nothing strange at all.

Peter eventually proposes to her, but not before telling her of Narnia, of its green glens and wild dances and grand battles. He tells her of sibling monarchs and omniscient lions, of brave warriors and river gods.

(He tells her of a land he will never return to, a land that is a memory and not a goal. He tells her of the kingdom he was torn away from, that he will never return to, the world he's given up on.)

At first, she thinks him mad, but then she returns to her List of Impossible Things- her own career and their relationship are on the list- and returns to him with trust in his tales. This is why he loves Anna-Mae: she desires proof, is endlessly pragmatic in her goals and methods, but she is willingly to take leaps of faith when necessary. She believes in wonder, if not magic.

When Peter is pulled back into Narnia a few days later, his hands are near permanently stained with the ink of his doctoral dissertation. (The subject: the recurrence of messianic figures throughout cultures in world history.)

Peter is not a commander anymore. His voice is softened by years spent in a library, his command of armies dulled by quiet debates with professors and peers. He is sentimental in softer ways now- his gestures of grandeur have been minimized from countrywide spectacles to candlelit dinners in his flat. He has lost many of the aspects that made him Magnificent, that made him the Golden High King.

Everyone around him, on the other hand, seems to slide so easily into their roles.

His brother is High King. Peter's fiancee is reforming the entirety of Narnia’s healing systems with the help of his sister. Peter's brother-in-law is King Consort and his cousin travels the capital city, collecting the people's complaints and communicating them to the Royal Counsel to deal with.

What is Peter? His degree is useless. He is a teacher now, not a King, no matter what Edmund, Lucy, and Caspian may insist. He cannot command armies like a god, cannot swing a sword with the precision of guillotine. He is not Magnificent anymore; he is barely King, if that.

(And he can’t help but think of the fact that Aslan told him that his time in Narnia was over, that she did not need him anymore. What is he to do now that he is here, in the land he once loved and protected, and he has been told that he is unnecessary? Watching his brother, he can certainly see why Aslan had said that there was no reason for him ever to return.)

The answer ends up coming, ironically enough, in the form of his naive younger cousin.

“You were High King,” his cousin Eustace says, and Peter nods as he turns the page of a text analyzing tales about the creation of this world. Tales of the very first witch in Narnia and speculation that that witch- named Jadis in the oldest texts- could have been the White Witch.

“A long, long time ago, I was,” Peter says. _A thousand years ago and a lifetime away._

“I’ve only ever known cousin Edmund as High King. I have no idea what it was like under your reign, only that it has become legend in Narnian lore. What you did was awe-inspiring, Peter."

Peter can feel the weight of Eustace's expectations fall on his shoulders just like everyone else's. His shoulders slump slightly- he had been hoping that Eustace would be more understanding, like Anna-Mae.

"But you're obviously different now," Eustace continues, and Peter perks back up. "This world is strange to you, unlike England or even the Narnia you used to know."

“When I first arrived here six months ago, I felt out of place. I was scared of what I didn’t understand. Even after the adventures on the Dawn Treader, I felt unsure of how I could live in, much less help, a world I had lived in for only a few weeks.

"You obviously know far more about this world than I do, Peter, and don’t hesitate to dismiss my advice, but I think you just need time to adjust. Find a way that makes _you_ feel useful, not one that others think you should have.”

Huh. “That's quite the wise suggestion, Eustace.”

“Narnia has taught me much, cousin.”

Peter grins. “That it has.”

\---

Years ago, Peter used his sword to cut apples for small children. He used one of the greatest weapons in the world to spread happiness and joy, turned a blade into a gift rather than just a weapon. He took his most formidable weapon and used it give the people joy.

So now, he uses his knowledge to do the same. He uses the history of England that he studied in university and his knowledge of the Golden Age to share tales with young children.

At first, everything seems to be going well. Things are a bit strange, but that's to be expected. Back in the Golden Age, it was always Edmund that interacted with the citizens, that learned about their lives, comforted and celebrated with them. Peter was High King- he was busy engaging foreign relations, with diplomats and heads of state and Lords of Nature. Now, Edmund is the one with those responsibilities, and Peter is the one interacting with the citizens.

Now, as he tells stories to the children, Peter sees the pain that orphans go through, the hunger and abuse that often afflict them. He recognizes in Narnians the same problems that affect children back in England, and he knows he can do something.

This is what he can help with. He may no longer be High King, he may no longer be a doctoral candidate, but he has his experience and he has imagination. Aslan did not name him a King without reason.

“Brother,” he says to Edmund one night at dinner, “I wish to start a comprehensive system to take care of children in Narnia, beginning with the capitol and moving out.”

Edmund sets down his fork and leans in slightly, interest alight in his eyes. “Explain your proposition, brother.”

Peter smiles, welcoming an opportunity to explain. “We'll begin with a system of education and schooling. All children can receive free food at school whenever they attend, thus decreasing hunger among the young population."

Then we'll expand to a system of free food, distributed from the castle stores. Able-bodied eople can work jobs that support the community- volunteering for the schools or Anna-Mae and Lucy's medical programs, perhaps- and receive rations that way. People who are disabled or otherwise unable to work will receive rations regardless."

"That sounds like a wonderful plan, Pete," Edmund says, and Caspian nods.

"We'll work on the details with the council and hopefully implement it as soon as possible," Caspian says. "We'll need your knowledgeable input, of course."

Peter nods, smiling. "Thank you, Your Majesties."

"No need to stand on title with us, Pete," Edmund says with a slight frown. "You are a King as well."

"Right, Ed," Peter says with a slightly uncomfortable smile.

\---

Sometimes, at night, he dreams of his last sister. He dreams of her getting older, grey entering her hair and arthritis entering her bones.

He dreams of Susan in a court not quite unlike theirs, a court in which she reigns triumphant with the use of words as sharp as arrowheads. He dreams of her fighting battles that are microcosms of theirs during the Golden Age and the ones they just recently fought against the Telmarines.

He dreams of her finding two lovers- a dark-skinned woman with ambition in her eyes and calluses on her fingertips, and a Jewish man who teaches children like Peter's. He dreams of them sharing a house, growing old together, having a child at an age that Peter might have thought to old.

He dreams of a foreign magic, of an England in which a darkness encroaches and his sister adopts an orphan boy.

In any world, the Pevensies are protectors. They adopt worlds that are not their own, pull children and kingdoms underneath their wings and dare the worst in the world to attack.

\---

Sometimes Peter wishes he hadn't returned to Narnia. England was a world in which he could be a protector, a scholar, a hero, without without having to be a hero. He didn’t have to fight entire armies and witches

In England, there was certainty. He knew he would live the rest of his life there without returning to Narnia, while in Narnia he always has to doubt if he'll be rippped back to England. Peter's kingdom, fragile as it is, is far more certain in England than in Narnia.

Sometimes he loves it here. Here, he and Anna-Mae can love without persecution. Here, he can be a protector, a guardian, whether his charge be an entire kingdom or the children under his care. Here, he can be with his youngest siblings, can make changes far greater than any he could have in England.

In the end, he can't be sure why Aslan chose to bring him back.

\---

Peter finds himself in the library one night, watching as Anna-Mae and Edmund engage in yet another round of chess. Anna-Mae is a quick study when it comes to Edmund's strategies, and it's gotten to the point where she wins nearly nearly half of the matches they engage in.

(Peter’s fiancee is beautiful in her cunning and wit, stunning in her intelligence. The look in her dark eyes as she beats Edmund is so alluring, making Peter want to kiss those beautiful lips of hers.)

“They are astounding,” Caspian says, and Peter glances back to see his brother-in-law standing there, his gaze fixed on his husband. The smile is loving and fond, though his eyes hold awe in them.

Peter nods as he observes the way Caspian stares at Edmund. “That they are.”

A few moments pass as the expression on Caspian’s face shifts from one of fondness to one of regret and frustration. Peter raises an eyebrow at the change- Edmund and Anna-Mae are still laughing as they share a joke, so he does not see what prompted Caspian’s abrupt mood swing- but his unspoken question is answered a second later.

“King Peter,” Caspian says, “I don't believe I ever apologized to you for the insults I paid to your honor after we lost the siege. I wish to do so now, and beg your forgiveness for words spoken rashly in the heat of battle.”

Peter wishes he could say that he had already forgiven Caspian, that it was no big deal, but he is not a perfect man. He has his fair share of pride, which was wounded by Caspian’s remarks.

He can, however, recognize that Caspian’s mistake was his as well. He remembers the insults in question, but he also remembers his original response: calling Caspian an invader, telling the Prince that Narnia was better off without him.

Peter offers up a conciliatory smile. “Only if you can accept my apology as well, Your Majesty,” he says.

Caspian looks appalled. “No need, my King-”

“You are more my King than I am yours, King Caspian,” Peter says, and he means it. This Narnia is far more Caspian and Edmund’s to rule than it could ever be his, damn his pride.

“Then we are equals, King Peter,” Caspian says, a smirk resembling Edmund’s usual one crossing his face. He offers out a hand to Peter, and Peter takes it with a smile. It is always satisfying to resolve conflicts, especially with people Peter respects and cares for.

“Are you finished gossiping over there, dear?” Edmund asks, and the two Kings turn to look at their loves, who are looking at them with eyebrows raised.

Peter smiles as Caspian’s smirk grows. “Oh course not, darling.”

\---

In the end, it is Edmund, the Traitor-King, the Diplomat, the underestimated and underloved, who rules the greatest kingdom. He becomes known as the Once and Future King, the Twice-Ruled, the greatest King Narnia has ever known. He rules with a just and firm hand, is renowned by his allies, feared by his enemies, and loved by his people.

And his brother is so incredibly proud of him.

\---

“And so that’s how the story ends, then?” Anna-Mae asks, lips quirked up into a grin, as Peter adjusts Javi on his lap. Ismael and Kaeley sit on the settee across from Peter’s armchair and Anna-Mae’s rocker.

(The King and Royal Healer of Narnia have three children- Ismael, their first (and only naturalborn) child, Kaeley, their second child and only daughter, adopted from a Capitol orphanage, and Javi, a young Calormen boy they adopted on one of their trips South. They spend every available moment beyond their jobs with their children, and when they can’t their kids spend the days their various family members and godparents.)

“No, love,” Peter says, “That’s how it begins.”


End file.
